The New York Yankees simply can’t catch a break with injuries this spring training period, as they’ve watched Luis Severino, CC Sabathia, Jacoby Ellsbury, and now top prospect Estevan Florial go down.
The Yankees’ young outfielder has worked diligently to earn playing time during the Grapefruit League, batting .355 with two doubles, a homer, and four RBIs. Florial fractured his right wrist in a blowout win over the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday.
Yankees announce it's a non-displaced right wrist fracture for Estevan Florial. He will undergo further tests on Monday.
— Bryan Hoch ?? (@BryanHoch) March 16, 2019
The 21-year-old has worked his way into consideration as a potential rotational piece down the stretch, his chances of reaching the big stage have been cut significantly. It will take him a few months to heal and continue his development program before he can even be considered as a legitimate option in the outfield.
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With starting center fielder Aaron Hicks out with a stiff back, it was possible the Yankees were looking to feature him and utilize his speed on the bases. Additionally, Ellsbury’s ever-lasting injury makes matters even worse in regard to depth. Moving forward, I would expect the Yanks to stick with Aaron Judge, Hicks, and Giancarlo Stanton in the outfield. With a weak supporting cast, the trio will earn a lot of playing time with not much rest, something that could affect them later on in the season.
New York Yankees manager Aaron Boone commented on Florial’s injury:
“We will see,’’ Boone said when asked if Florial was OK. “Think it is something minor but we are taking him for X-rays just in case. X-rays as a precaution. Hopefully, we don’t feel like it is anything big, but we are going to make sure of it.’’
Hopefully, the ailment will turn out to be less serious, enabling him a chance at making a run at the starting squad. His ability on the bases and defense could be used in the month ahead.